Insects will be important part of diet by 2020, says scientist

Western diners should get used to the idea of eating insects because by 2020 it is “inevitable” they will form an important part of our diet, according to the entomologist who heads up the world’s first university centre focusing on insects as a food source.

He argues that consumers who have traditionally turned their noses up at six-legged food may have to change their minds as conventional meat becomes more expensive and scarce.

In an interview with Wired magazine, Prof Marcel Dicke of Wageningen University said: “The most important thing is getting people prepared, getting used to the idea. Because from 2020 onwards, there won’t be much of a choice for us.”

He wants to persuade people to ditch prejudices about insects, and to persuade manufacturers and suppliers to come up with products that can be sold in “a reassuring and attractive manner”. Dicke heads a Netherlands-based four-year programme aiming to produce a scientific and business plan to bring insects to western tables.